Carry On Dancing
by Angel13aby
Summary: What happens when you mix two genii, a Flame, Giselle, Aphrodite, a female Samurai, Ariel, and Eric with a very important Masked Ball? One very unusual party!


AN: Just go to the story! Email me, please! angel_13aby@yahoo.com  
  
Carry On Dancing  
Usagi sighed as her friends went on and on about nothing. She twirled her straw aimlessly in her hands, staring at the back of a raven-haired man sitting at a nearby counter. She sighed, and tried to look interested in what they were saying.  
"So Usagi, what are you going as for the Ball?" Mina asked the blonde girl who was now staring at the wall above Lita's head.  
"Wha- Huh?" She quickly snapped out of it.  
"Boing- Boing Brain spaced out again." Rei chided.  
"Oh shut up Pyro." Usagi retorted.   
Rei promptly gave her a raspberry.  
"Sorry I wasn't listening. What?" Usagi asked, sighing.  
Mina rolled her eyes and began to talk. "There's a some kind of a Gala Ball thing tonight in honor of a bunch of scholars from the hospital, and Ami's mom is co-ordinating, so we can go. Isn't that so cool?"   
"See, it's a Masked event, so everyone has to go in costume, wearing masks. I'm going as a Flame, a princess of Mars." Rei told her.  
"Ohhh... how original. Go as yourself." Usagi joked. Rei gave her a look.  
"I'm going as-" Lita began, but was cut off by Usagi.   
"Lemme guess, a Woodland Spirit, a princess of Jupiter?"  
"No, actually I'm going as a female Samurai."  
"Oh."  
"Well I'm going as Aphrodite." Mina informed them loudly.  
"Big surprise." Rei muttered.  
"I'm going as Giselle." Ami said.  
"Who?" Usagi looked confused.  
"Giselle is the main character from a very famous play about a girl who loves to dance." Mina said with a faraway look in her eyes. She shook her head, and turned back to them. "It's very romantic."  
"Yeah we could tell." Usagi said, looking somewhat distant herself.   
"So 'Sagi what are you gonna go as?" Rei asked. Usagi shrugged.  
"What time is it tonight?" she asked instead.   
"It starts at eight, so we'll pick you up from your house in costume at about seven-thirty. Okay?" Lita said.   
"Gotcha. I gotta go shopping!" Usagi exclaimed, jumping up and leaving.   
Usagi strolled through the mall, glancing in store windows and brainstorming ideas for her costume. Finally she ran into a Disney store. (AN: Do they have those in Japan?) Smiling happily she ran past it, an idea forming in her mind.   
"So Motoki, can you come tonight? You can bring Rita if you want, just get me out of this!" Mamoru begged his best friend.  
"Get you out of what, Mamoru? This Ball thing is in your honor. Or your class, at least, even though you are valedictorian." Motoki asked slyly, enjoying Mamoru's obvious discomfort.  
"So? No one will be there, no one I can talk to."  
"Do you know if a certain Meatball-Headed girl will be there?" Motoki questioned, trying to sound casual.  
Mamoru glared at him, and looked back at four girls that were giggling in the corner booth.  
"Well?" Motoki persisted.  
"No I don't know if she's going. Besides, why would she? She doesn't know anyone in my class, I know that, and she has no connection to the hospital that's hosting it, besides that fact that she was born there." The dark haired man sighed dejectedly.  
"Whoah, man, slow down. No connection? I think not." His blue-eyed friend said quickly. Mamoru looked up at him, interested.  
"Usagi's classmate's best friend's mother's sister's daughter's boyfriend's little sister's best friend works as a candy striper. Cool or what?" Darien just stared at him. "No, I'm kidding. You see those four girls back there." Mamoru turned, looked, and nodded. "That blue-haired one, Mizuno Ami, is the daughter of Tokyo Central Hospital's best ER doc, Dr. Mizuno herself. I heard them talking, and Ami mentioned that her mom had told her that she could bring the girls along. So who knows?" Mamoru looked at him in awe, as if he was a God.  
"Really?" Mamoru stuttered.  
"Yeah, so what are you going as?" Motoki asked.  
"Huh?"  
"Well, you did know it is a Masked Costume Ball, isn't it?"  
"Oh my god!"  
"I'll take that as a no. Lemme go call Rita..."  
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Four hours later...  
"Okay Darien, do have it on yet?" Rita called from Darien's apartment's living room.  
"I look ridiculious!" Darien called back from his bedroom.  
"Just come on out!"   
Darien sighed, and opened the door. He was dressed as a genie. He wore sweatpants of gold silky material that were a bit larger than normal, a gold and silver mask, and a cape of midnight blue that fell nearly to the ground. Rita had gelled his hair back into a tight ponytail at the base of his neck, and he wore shiny black pointy shoes (You know the shoes genies wear, right? The ones with the curls at the end?).  
Andrew burst out laughing.  
"Hey man, look at you!" Darien told him. Andrew stopped laughing immediately. He and Rita were going as Eric and Ariel. Rita wore the blue and black dress that Ariel wore on land in the movie, and Andrew wore the white shirt and black pants of the Prince Eric.  
"Hey! I happen to think these outfits are very cute, thank you very much!" Rita retorted. Darien gave Andrew a Look, and then looked at his clock.  
"Oh great! We gotta hurry or we're gonna be late." Darien said, grabbing his car keys.  
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Fifteen minutes earlier...  
Serena surveyed her costume in the mirror. She wore light pink velvet sweatpants, which had white beads on the edges at the top along her waist and the bottoms. She wore white curly shoes, and had her hair in a ponytail at the very center of the top of her head. She wore a matching pink shirt, which stopped well above her belly button, and was along fringed in sparkling white beads. She had topped off the ensemble with a small white beaded mask, large silver hoop earrings, a white scrunchie, and lots of body and hair glitter.   
"Perfect."  
A horn honked outside. Serena ran downstairs, grabbing her white velvet cape and her duffel bag as she went. As she hastily clasped the cape under her chin and flipped the fabric over her shoulder, she called a goodbye to her mother, and a reminder that she would be sleeping over at Rei's that night.  
"Goodbye dear, have fun!" came the reply, but the door had already shut behind the beautiful teenage girl. Serena drove away a few seconds later in Ami's mom's large SUV.  
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ The Grand Ballroom at the Royal Suites Hotel...  
The five girls gasped as they entered.   
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ami's mom asked, then walked away to talk to some of her co-workers.  
Darien stood by the refreshment table with "Ariel" and "Eric". He had seen the other genie's entrance, and though he was also dazzled by her companions' beauty, he was stunned at her beauty, her grace... and her costume.   
The beautiful genie looked around, and spotted the food tables, laden with all sorts of entrees and deserts. She dragged her four friends over with her.  
"Oooh it all looks so yummy!" Serena said, grabbing a plate. She looked up at her friends, but saw past them, to a man standing furthur down. He too, was dressed as a genie. Serena made a decision right there. She straightened up, and set one pastry on the plate.   
"What do you guys want?" she asked, gesturing to the tables. The looked at her, looked at her plate, and then picked one up themselves.   
Darien kept watching the golden haired goddess (or genie, in this case) out of the corner of his eye. Andrew and Rita watched the scene. Rita soon began to drag Andrew onto the dance floor, but he pulled away just long enough for him to whisper to Darien. "Ask her to dance, man!"   
Darien waited until, one by one, the genie's friends reluctantly left her to dance. He walked over to were she was sitting, and lent down in front of her. He appeared calm and cool on the outside as he extended his hand, but inside, he was shaking.  
"May I have this dance?" he asked, his voice still calm and deep. She nodded, and put a slender hand into his. As they danced, she studied his face, not noticing as he did the same. 'Were have I seen eyes like that before?' Darien asked himself. 'Who is he?' Serena wondered silently.   
"Do-"  
"Why-" They started at the same time. Serena giggled. Darien was struck again with the knowledge he had heard that laugh before.   
"Do you go to school at the University?" Darien asked.   
Serena was suddenly sad on the inside. "No, but I would like to go there someday."  
"Someday?"  
"Yes, maybe after college. I enjoy the school I'm at now. Do you go there?"  
"Yes, I do take courses there."  
They danced silently for awhile, and then the song changed to a slower N*Sync song. Darien gently pulled Serena closer to him, putting his hands on her waist. She rested her head on his bare chest, her arms around his neck. Soon she closed her eyes, trusting this strong stranger that she was attracted to to guide her around the ballroom.   
Darien looked down, and saw her closed eyes, and heard her peaceful breathing. 'Who is she, that she would trust such a stranger? Who could every be that trustful and pure?' Suddenly an idea struck him like lightning, only much less painful.  
'Could this be Serena???!!!' He looked down at her again. The parts of her face not covered by her mask resembled Serena's. She was the same height, and had Serena's same small waist. And the hair! Her hair fell from her ponytail, down her back, just past the back of her knees. 'Just like Serena's!' Darien thought excitedly. Then the excitement dissapeared. 'But what if it is her?! What if she finds out whos she's dancing with?! She hates me!'   
Darien pulled away from Serena, surprising her. She tripped, and landed on the floor. Several people around them glanced at them. She looked up at him, astonished. Now he was sure it was Serena.  
"I, umm, have to go to the bathroom. Save a dance for me!" he told her, rushing off. He grabbed Andrew from Rita's arms as he passed.   
Darien began to pace the length of the elegantly decorated bathroom.  
"What's the matter, Dare?" Andrew asked.  
"It's Serena, I'm sure of it!" Darien replied. Andrew shook his head.  
"Who's Serena?"  
"The genie girl I was dancing with. That's Serena, I know it!"  
"How could you tell?"  
"It's hard to explain, but just look at her! The real her shines through!"  
Meanwhile, Serena was in the hall in front of the girl's bathroom with the four girls.   
"It was really wierd! He practically ran away! What'd I do?"  
The door in front of them opened. The girl had her mask off.  
"Rita?" Serena asked.  
Rita looked up, startled. "Yeah???"  
"Oh hi Serena!" she exclaimed. "So lemme guess, this is Lita, Mina, Ami and Rei, right?" Rita asked, pointing to each as she went. The other girls nodded. Rita tied her mask back on.   
"So are you here with Andrew?" Serena asked, her voice asking another question entirely.   
"Yeah, we caught a ride with Darien. I can't believe he forgot it was a costume ball! We spent four hours trying to find the right costume, I swear!"  
Serena looked out at the crowded room. "So umm, what are you guys dressed as? I know you're Ariel, but I haven't seen Andrew, I don't think."  
"Oh, yes you have, he's dressed as Eric from the Little Mermaid. And Darien's dressed as a genie, too." Serena fainted dead away as the door to the men's bathroom opened.  
"Oh my God!" Andrew swore, and rushed over, Darien at his side.   
The girls were already knelt around her.  
"Will she be okay, Rita?" Andrew asked. Rita looked up at him, then at Darien.  
"Yeah. I know her, she's in some of my high school classes. She'll be fine. Lita picked Serena up, and the girls all herded in to the bathroom.  
Darien stood looking at the closed door, Rita's word echoing in his head.  
"Guess you were wrong, Dare." Andrew said, although something about the way Rita looked at him made him wonder.   
A little while later, the girls came back out, Serena awake. Darien went up to her and kissed her softly on her pink lips. Serena didn't know if she should move closer to his strong body or run from the sensations shooting up and down her spine. He pulled back just a little, enough to see her face.  
"Are you alright? I was worried." The tenderness in his voice cut through her heart like a knife. Tears welled in her eyes, and she ran away, across the ballroom, to the balcony and gardens outside. She ran until she fell. She stayed where she had fallen, crying crystaline tears.  
(A minute ago...) Darien stared at her retreating form. He would have run after her, but the look in her eyes had left him paralysed.   
"Rita, please, answer me truthfully. Who is she?" Darien begged.  
Rita looked at the other girls. One of them stepped forward, a blonde draped in the robes of a Greek goddess. She took off her mask.   
"Darien, that was Serena."  
Darien stared at the face revealed. He looked at the other girls. The masks no longer mattered, he could plainly see Lita, Rei, and Ami's faces before they removed their masks.  
"Darien I know this must be hard for you to understand but Serena likes you a lot! And I know that the only reason she came here tonight was in hopes that she'd find you." Rei said hastily.  
"She's afraid, Darien, and she needs to know what is going to happen after tonight." Lita added.  
"Darien, you're chances with her as a compatible couple are- mumpoy gund." Ami was cut off as Mina stuck her hand over her mouth.  
"What she means to say is go get her, Darien!" Mina told him.  
Darien ran after Serena, his mind screaming. As he crossed the dancing floor, the music stuck in his mind, firing up his feelings.  
  
The moonlight...  
Shines down interstellar beams  
And the groove tonight  
Is something more than you've ever seen  
The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late  
  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing.  
  
You're never safe 'till you see the dawn  
And if the clock strikes  
Past midnight the hope is gone  
To move under...  
  
The moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing.  
  
Move. Closer. Passion. Stronger.  
  
There's a magic only two can tell  
In the dark night  
Ultra violet is a wicked spell  
The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late  
  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing.  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing.  
  
Serena heard the song, too. She also heard the sound of footsteps approaching quickly behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"Don't. Touch. Me." she said through clenched teeth. Darien took a step back in shock. He had never heard such loathing in her voice, for anyone. That she should hate him so made his heart crack.   
"Serena-" he didn't know where to start. "I'm sorry."  
Serena stood and turned to him. "That you kissed a stupid little Meatball Head like me? A ditz that knows nothing? Is that what you're sorry about, Darien? Are you sorry to hear that the little pain loves you? Is that what you're sorry about?" she spat.  
"No, Serena, it's not like that at all! I-" Darien hesitated.  
"You what, Darien? Thought I was someone else? Thought I was worthy of dancing with you, and then you were dissappointed?" Serena asked, breaking down into tears again. Darien heart was crushed to the floor under the leaden press that was Serena's pain.   
"No Serena! Don't you see?!" Darien cried desperately.  
"See that you hate me? Yeah, you've made that perfectly clear!" she retorted, her face streaked with tears. Shaking his head, Darien moved closer.  
"No, Serena." he whispered, an inch away from her face. He kissed her gently on her parted lips. He felt her relax, and he pulled her closer to him. Her arms suddenly came up to wrap around him. A few seconds later, he pulled away, but still embraced her.  
"Don't you see?" he asked again, this time not waiting for an answer. "I love you."  
Serena's face cracked slowly into a smile.  
"I love you too, Darien."  
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-The End-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/  
AN: No, I don't own Sailor Moon or the song "carry on dancing". SM is owned by some big company that I don't feel like messing with while my wallet is empty, and the song is owned by Savage Garden, or someone that wrote it for them. Please email me angel_13aby@yahoo.com!   



End file.
